Memory
by whatanauthorsgottado
Summary: Turns out, remembering only your name can get you into a heap of trouble, as Loki finds out. As does a young Potions Mistress... Loki/Hermione. EWE.
1. Chapter 1

He had no idea where he was.

Of course, given the scope of the blank spot in his memory, it wasn't surprising that he had no idea where he was. What was surprising, really, was that he remembered his own name.

He did remember that, right?

As he thought it, it returned to him. Loki. His name was Loki.

"Well, that's something," he murmured. "Now for the other."

He looked around, trying to jog his absent memories with images of his surroundings. Unfortunately, nothing looked familiar – from the castle at the top of the hill he was standing on to the forest at the bottom.

"Lovely," he mumbled. "I can't remember anything, I don't know who I am besides a given name – and my head hurts something awful. Perfect."

A movement from the castle caught his eye, and he turned to look. As he watched, a figure exited the large wooden door and dashed down to him.

"Are you alright?" the figure asked as soon as it came close enough. The figure resolved itself in Loki's slightly blurry vision into a woman with long, curly brown hair messily tied back into a bun.

"I... I suppose so," he said. "May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Hermione. You... you're bleeding," she said, pointing at the left side of his face.

Loki lifted a hand and brushed it over his face. Pain erupted in his temple, and his fingers came back covered in blood. "So I am," he murmured, feeling a wave of weakness wash over him. His knees buckled, but Hermione lunged forward and grabbed him under the arm, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Come on. We should get you to the hospital wing," she said gently, bringing him up to the castle.

As soon as they entered, they were surrounded by bodies. "Professor, what's going on?" one piped up over the din.

Loki winced at the noise. Hermione noticed.

"Everyone, be quiet and clear a path," she ordered. "I'm taking this man to the Hospital Wing. Jameson, can you go run and tell Professor McGonagall that we have a visitor in the Hospital Wing?"

One boy ran off, and Hermione brought Loki up to another set of stairs.

She supported him all the way up several flights of stairs to a room that was painted a soft white, with white beds along either long wall. She brought him over to the bed nearest the door and helped him to sit on it, then headed over to another door and knocked gently.

A matronly-looking woman poked her head out. Spotting Hermione, she asked, "Yes, Professor Granger? Has someone injured themselves? Is that what that bang was out on the grounds?"

"Well... not exactly. I heard the noise too, and I rushed outside to find this man standing down by the lake."

The matronly woman caught sight of Loki. "I see. Who is he?"

"I... I never asked. But he's got a head injury, so I brought him up here right away. I sent Jameson to go get Minerva."

"Alright. You've done the right thing." The matron came out of the room and bustled over to Loki's bedside. "Oh, I see. That looks like you hit your head something hard. Are you alright, dear?"

"My head hurts, and I can't... I don't remember where I am. I don't remember anything at all, really. Just my name."

She shook her head. "Oh, dear. Well, what is your name, dear?"

"Loki. I don't remember my family name..."

"Oh dear. Must have been a right nasty blow." She removed what looked like a stick from the pocket of her apron. "Now, I'm just going to perform a couple of diagnostic charms, make sure nothing else is wrong. You should lie down, dear. But don't go to sleep!"

Loki lay back on the soft pillows. Behind the matron, he spotted Hermione wringing her hands, and was inexplicably comforted. It was nice to have someone worry about him, for once.

 _Where did that come from?_

He was distracted from his thoughts by a white light coming from the matron's stick. Apparently, it was some kind of magic wand. Loki's eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you... some kind of witch?" he asked slowly.

"Indeed I am, dear. In fact, you're in a building full of witches and wizards. This is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"I see."

Loki relaxed back into the pillows and stared up at the white ceiling. He was... so tired. He just wanted to drift off...

"Shouldn't he stay awake?" Hermione's voice asked.

"You're right." Loki felt himself being shaken, but it felt like it was from a distance. With a Herculean effort, he pried his eyes open.

A cup was being offered to him by the matron. "Drink this, dear. It'll help heal the damage to your brain. I've already healed your head wound, but the concussion is still there."

Loki accepted the cup and drank down the sickly-sweet concoction within in a single gulp. Immediately, he fell back against the pillows again, and his eyes slammed shut. He felt the cup being taken from his hands.

"He's in good hands, Professor Granger," was the last thing he heard before sleep claimed him.

* * *

Hermione glanced down at the now-sleeping stranger. "I'm sure he is," she said quietly. "I'm going to wait for Minerva to get here, so I can explain the situation."

"Alright, dear. Do you want me to keep you company?"

"No, that's alright. I'm sure you have other things to do."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, disappearing into the back room. Hermione took a seat beside Loki's bed, studying him.

She couldn't help but wonder who he was and how he'd gotten onto Hogwarts' grounds. He'd told them his name, but where did he come from? How did he get here?

Why was he here?

She was so caught up in wondering that she barely noticed the hallway door opening until Minerva was standing beside her. "So, this is the mysterious man who appeared on the grounds?"

Hermione jumped a little, but quickly regained her composure. "Yes. He said his name was Loki, but he didn't remember anything else…"

"I see. He didn't say where he'd come from, did he?"

"No. I got the impression he didn't remember anything."

Minerva frowned. "Nothing at all?"

"I don't think so. He didn't even remember his last name, though he did have a pretty bad head wound when he said it. Maybe he'll remember when he wakes up."

"Hopefully." Minerva placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You've done the right thing. The only thing we can do right now is wait for him to wake up."

Hermione nodded, watching Loki's chest rise and fall with his breathing.


	2. Chapter 2

Loki's awareness returned to him slowly. The first thing he felt was a slight pressure on his chest; he opened his eyes and looked down to see Hermione's head on his ribs, facing him. Her warmth was very comfortable, and he didn't feel like moving anyway, so he lay still for a while, breathing as gently as possible.

Soon enough, Hermione began to stir. She opened her eyes blearily and shot upright as soon as she realized where she was.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped out. "I-I must have fallen asleep! Sorry if I was hurting you!"

"Don't worry. I'm just fine."

"Oh, good. How are you feeling otherwise?"

Loki took stock of his body. "I feel… better than I did yesterday. My headache's gone."

"Good. Do you remember anything? How you got here?"

"Yes, that would be interesting to hear," came a new voice from the hallway door. A woman came through, an older woman with steel-grey hair tied back into a severe bun.

"I'm afraid I don't," Loki said. "I can tell you only my name. I am Loki."

The older woman cocked an eyebrow. "I should say so. You've certainly caused us a great deal of trouble."

"I don't understand."

"Since you've arrived, you've caused our students quite a scare. You've also got the media up in arms." She glanced at Hermione. "Somehow, Rita Skeeter heard the news about this man appearing on Hogwarts grounds. She's currently questioning my abilities as Headmistress."

"She's been doing that since you first started," Hermione pointed out.

"Some of the parents are also beginning to do so, unfortunately. They're afraid the wards have failed, and that this man is a Dark Wizard come to attack their children."

"I'm sorry," Loki interrupted, "but I don't understand how my presence could scare your children's parents enough to question the Headmistress of the place I arrived at."

The woman gave him a long look. "I suppose, if you truly have amnesia, you wouldn't understand. Our society was at war for some time several years ago, and we haven't completely recovered from it."

"I see. So my appearance could mean…?"

"It could have meant that the wards that protect this school have been compromised, but having just checked the wards myself – and I sent an owl to the Prophet telling them just that – and they're in perfect working order."

Loki was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed – what did owls have to do with anything? And what was the Prophet? – so he simply nodded.

"Now, the next order of business is to figure out what to do with you."

"I beg your mercy in deciding; I don't remember anything, not even where I came from nor how I got here."

"Nothing?" The older woman studied him closely.

"No. As I said, the only thing that I know is my name, and the last thing I remember is a white flash, and then appearing here."

"I see. Would you be willing to be tested with Veritaserum?" At Loki's blank look, she elaborated. "Truth potion. It would force you to tell the truth about what you remember."

A great part of Loki balked at the idea, but frankly, if he didn't want to be outside the gates by morning, it was likely that he would have to go along with it. He nodded resignedly. "I will take the test."

"Thank you. Ms. Granger?"

Hermione nodded and stood. "I'll go get it. Should be back in a few minutes."

The older woman noted Loki watching her out the door. "Professor Granger is our Potions mistress. She keeps the stock of Veritaserum in her office."

Loki nodded. "She seems a kind woman."

The older woman looked over her glasses at him. "She is. She's very clever, too, so don't start thinking you could pull one over on her."

"Wouldn't have dreamt of it," Loki murmured, surprising himself by meaning it truthfully.

Why was that so surprising?

The pair waited in silence for Hermione to return. It was only a few minutes before she came back through the door, holding a small bottle about half full of clear liquid.

"Here," she said, conjuring a glass from nowhere with her wand, and filling it with water. "You should have a drink first."

Loki drank of the pure water in the glass, finding himself surprisingly thirsty. He hadn't noticed. When he was done, he handed the glass back to Hermione, who refilled it and dropped a few drops of Veritaserum into it.

This time, Loki hesitated before drinking. Hermione looked at him with sympathy. "Everything will just feel a little cloudy for a while. You'll want to tell the truth to anything asked, but you've been telling the truth the whole time. Nothing to worry about."

"It's nice to have someone here who has so much faith in me," he murmured, before he drained the glass.

True to Hermione's word, everything seemed to slip away a bit. He heard the older woman's voice asking him, "Where did you come from?"

"I don't remember," he said quietly. "I can't recall anything before the white flash I mentioned."

"I see." She pursed her lips. "So you don't recall how you appeared on our grounds, either?"

"I wish I did."

"I see." The older woman stood. "Well, I suppose that is all the questions I can ask you. Now what do we do with you…"

"I can take charge of him, Professor," Hermione said. "I've been working on some potions for St. Mungo's; I'm sure they won't mind giving me a bit extra to research memory potions at the same time."

"Are you sure, Hermione?"

She bit her lip, but nodded. "Maybe he can even help. I can show him some of the simpler potions, and he can help make those." She looked at Loki. "Does this sound okay to you?"

"It sounds rather perfect."

"Very well then. Hopefully, you should be able to manage with him. He's a troublemaker, I can tell." Behind her glasses, the older woman's eyes narrowed slightly in jest.

Hermione laughed. "Well, I've dealt with enough of those over the years."

"True enough," the older woman agreed, and took her leave.

Hermione looked back at Loki. "We'll give you about half an hour to recover from the Veritaserum, and so Madam Pomfrey can make sure you're well, and then I'll take you down to my office and show you the ropes. Alright?"

"Fine by me. What was the Headmistress' name?"

"Minerva Mcgonagall. Professor, to most people." She chuckled a little. "Myself included. I've called her Professor for so long that even nine years after graduating, I still find it hard to call her Minerva."

Loki nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Hermione graced him with a smile that felt to him as though it rather lit up the room. Leaving him to consider that, she stood and left the room.

* * *

True to her words, half an hour later, Loki followed Hermione down several flights of stairs to an office just off a courtyard. There was a window that looked out onto the courtyard, letting in sunlight and views of any troublemaking students.

On that thought... "Why did Minerva react that way when I told her my name?"

"Oh, you mean telling you that you're a troublemaker? Well, your name's Loki, which is the name of the Norse god of mischief and lies. He's well known for his tendency to cause mayhem wherever he goes, and, well... You don't know what the Prophet is, do you?"

At Loki's shaken head, she continued. "It's the Wizarding newspaper. It's well known for its scandals and sensationalism. News of your appearance at Hogwarts fell into the hands of one of their worst reporters, and she's whipped the public into a frenzy. Which of course means trouble for Minerva."

"It would," he agreed.

"In any case, you're here, you're not a danger, and the wards are still up, which means there's nothing we can do about it. So: potions."

"Potions."

Hermione grinned. "Potions. It's a very delicate branch of magic that not everyone has an easy time with, but I feel like you'll get it pretty well. First things first; I'm going to show you all the tools and how best to use them..."

After a three-hour crash course on Potion-making, Hermione set Loki to work making simple boil cures and other such things for the school's Hospital Wing, which was normally one of Hermione's duties when she wasn't busy with classes or research. She watched him chop up some ingredients, gave him a few pointers, and left him to it with the open textbook beside him.

Loki fell into his work very easily. Something about Potion brewing was rather soothing, he decided as he carefully weighed and dropped ingredients into the simmering cauldron. Perhaps it was just that it was simple work that left the mind open to thinking other thoughts.

Hermione, meanwhile, wasn't idle. As he chopped and measured, she riffled through the books on her shelf, taking out several and flipping through them, occasionally stopping to watch Loki or point something out to him. When he was finished with the boil cures, she stopped him and started speaking.

"I looked back through my Potions Mastery notes, and a Healer's textbook on brain damage, and what I found wasn't promising. The brain is a very subtle and delicate organ, and even simple magic can have awful effects on it. Even assuming that your amnesia was due to the blow in the head, there doesn't seem to be much we can do short of testing out a lot of different potions to see which one works. And if the memory loss is magical in origin... well, it won't be that simple."

"So what do we do then, oh brilliant lady?"

Hermione blushed slightly, but pushed on. "Well, there are a few recipes for potions that tend to have helpful effects on memory recall, so we can try those first. They take a long time to brew, though. One takes three weeks and has to be started six days before a full moon."

"Then we should start immediately."

Hermione bit her lip. "Well, there are... If St. Mungo's finds out about your memory loss, they'll not want me working on trying to help you. They'll want to take you in and figure you out themselves."

"St. Mungo's is a hospital, I assume?" Hermione nodded. "Well, I'd much rather not be put in hospital, so what are we to do?"

Hermione considered for a moment. "I could claim that you're an old friend of mine... I can tell them you're not from this country, and say you weren't taught magic in a school, so you don't know very much, and what you should know I can teach you."

"That could work."

"Of course, we'd have to get you a wand. But I have money for that... and Ollivander – the wand-maker – is an old friend of mine, he'll keep a secret."

"Then it would seem that our first step is to get me a wand, and teach me more about this world."

Hermione grinned. "It would seem so, yes."


	3. Chapter 3

It was simple enough to get Loki into and out of Diagon Alley to get him a wand (dogwood and dragon heartstring, twelve and three-quarter inches, rather bendy) and back into Hogwarts without being seen. What wasn't so simple was figuring out a story to tell the students, as rumors of a mysterious man who'd appeared by the Black Lake were flying.

Eventually, Minerva came up with a solution: use the backstory that Loki and Hermione had already come up with, and let the rumors of his mysterious appearance die. The shore of the Black Lake by which Loki had appeared was rather close to the front gate of the castle, and far enough away from the school that no one would have seen him appear from thin air.

It was a tenuous string to cling to, but it was all they had, so they used that story and hoped the rumors would disappear.

Meanwhile, brewing had begun on three of the memory-enhancing potions Hermione had found, and several more recipes had been cobbled together to test from Healer's records of dealing with Gilderoy Lockheart, and from Hermione's master's work. The cobbling was slow going though, given the amount of other things that also had to occupy space in Hermione's mind. Loki wasn't idle, however, busily learning more about magic and potion brewing from Hermione's notes and the school textbooks.

"Hermione," Loki began one day about two weeks after he'd appeared. "What House were you in as a student?"

"Gryffindor," she laughed. "Everyone thought I belonged in Ravenclaw up until the end of first year, when I joined my friends in getting through a maze protecting a powerful magical artifact."

"Colour me impressed."

She blushed. "It was fairly impressive, given we were eleven and twelve. My friend Harry was the one who completed the maze, though. All I really did was solve a riddle…"

"The fact remains that you got through this maze at age twelve."

"True." Hermione looked away, apparently uncomfortable. Loki reached out and trained her head towards him with a gentle finger under her chin.

"Do you not like being praised? Are you not used to it?"

"I'm not… Everyone told me how brilliant I was, but no one ever seemed to mean it. I'm not used to sincerity from adults."

There was something else, a bitter layer underneath, but Loki didn't know enough about her to tell what it was, so he let it be for now.

He released Hermione's chin and turned back to chopping ingredients for a Pepper-Up Potion. Hermione turned to watch the silver cauldron where the most delicate of the memory potions was bubbling away merrily.

"This one will be ready in a few minutes," she said. "Are you ready?"

Loki looked at the cauldron pensively. It would be nice to have his memories back, but in some ways, forgetting a lifetime was a blessing. What if he'd been an awful person before arriving at Hogwarts?

He shrugged slightly. "As ready as I will be."

Hermione nodded, looking like she wanted to say something, but she turned back to the cauldron and drew her wand. She waved her wand over the cauldron in a clockwise ellipse, once, twice, three times. Then she dipped the tip into the blueish liquid and drew a complicated rune into the surface. Where her wand touched, the potion turned rich purple, and the purple spread until the whole potion was uniform.

"It's done." She conjured a cup and dipped it in, scooping up about half a cup of the potion. She handed it over to Loki, and he raised it to her before downing the concoction.

Immediately, a feeling of exhaustion overtook him, and he sat down heavily on the stool behind him.

"Is suddenly becoming tired a side effect of this potion?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

Hermione flipped through to the recipe. "Yes. You'll probably sleep till tomorrow morning."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Very well. I'll go back to my rooms, then."

He stood and left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Loki awoke to light streaming in through the window. He blinked, letting his eyes adjust, then sat up and stared at his hands.

He still didn't remember anything. Nothing substantial, anyway; a few flashes of a man with long blond hair, another man with a patch over one eye, a woman with dark hair and a kind smile. Nothing about himself at all, nor about who these people were.

He reached over and picked up his wand, waving it and muttering a clock charm. Seven in the morning. Good. Not too early to find Hermione and tell her the results.

He headed out to the Great Hall. Hermione was seated at the teacher's table, nose in a book as she absently ate a piece of bacon. He raised a hand, and she caught sight of him and smiled.

"Good morning," she said as he sat next to her.

"Good morning. No improvements," he said in an undertone. "Very little happened last night."

"Oh. Oh well. Maybe a different one will help more."

"Hopefully."

They ate together in silence, then as one rose and left for Hermione's office.

Hermione had a class that morning, so Loki was left to watch over the memory potions. Some needed stirring and others ingredients added, but mostly they were left to simmer as he practiced basic spells from the Hogwarts third year textbooks.

"Lumos," he murmured as Hermione came in. The tip of his wand lit up yellow. "Nox. Hello, Hermione."

"So nothing changed at all? Nothing came back to you?"

Loki tilted his head in consideration. "Very little. Some images of people I must have known, but nothing about them. Nothing of myself, either."

"I see." She jotted something down in a journal, then snapped it shut. "Well, there's another two potions that should be ready today, one of which works immediately with no side effects, so maybe we should try them and see what happens."

"Indeed."

He watched as Hermione set about preparing the two potions, turning up the temperature on one to bring it to a boil, checking the colour of the other against a description in her book, this and that.

"When did you first become interested in potions?" he asked suddenly. "Not just interested. When did you decide you wanted to become a Potions Mistress?"

"Well, I've enjoyed potion-making since I first entered Hogwarts, despite our teacher," she said with a rather wistful look on her face. "Professor Snape was many things – a brilliant Potions Master among them – but he was... prickly." She made a face. "I shouldn't say that."

"But is it true?"

She laughed. "If anything, it's an understatement. Harry and Ron would say he was a right bastard. I would too, but..." She bit her lip. "It's rather rude to speak ill of the dead. Especially the dead who saved your friend's life."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "This sounds like a story I'd like to hear."

Hermione glanced down at the cauldron she was stirring. "A little later, perhaps. You probably know the story, you just forgot. Anyway, this one's ready." She conjured a cup and scooped up some of the potion.

Loki took the potion from her. "Any side effects I should know of?"

"Maybe a headache? Bringing back forgotten memories is a bit of an unpleasant process, apparently."

Loki shrugged and downed the potion. He shook his head with a grimace at the taste, pointing his wand at the cup and filling it with conjured water, which he immediately drank down.

Hermione grinned. Loki noticed, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're so... I don't know how to describe it. But usually, you seem so... haughty. Your reactions to things like this remind me that you're just human."

Something in that sentence struck a chord in Loki. A memory suddenly surfaced – looking down at his hand to see it turn blue. A feeling of cold, but not an unpleasant cold – like a long walk on a breezy day.

"I'm not," he murmured.

"What?"

"I'm not – I'm not human. I'm..." He stumbled back against the table, staring at his hands, one of which was slowly turning blue.

Hermione's eyes widened. "You're... What are you?"

"I don't know."

She hesitated for a moment, but in a flash she was by his side, taking his hand and examining it. The blue patch on his palm was spreading; his fingers were half blue.

"Can you control this? How are your hands turning blue? What do you remember?"

"I – I can't control it." Loki was breathing hard, not even realizing it – but Hermione noticed.

"Loki," she said gently, "you need to breathe slowly. Calm down – it's alright."

"My hand is blue."

"You're in shock. Sit down." She conjured a soft chair and helped the stunned Loki sit down. "Let me get you some water." She summoned the cup from a moment ago, filled it with water, and placed it in his hands. "Drink."

He obeyed. Slowly, as he stopped watching them, his hands returned to their normal colour. When he was done drinking, he took a deep, shuddering breath and looked at Hermione.

"Don't tell anyone. Please."

She bit her lip. "I..."

"You can't! I'm... you can't. Please."

"Loki... I have a friend that I think we should tell. She might be able to help find out what happened... why it happened."

A part of Loki accepted that that made sense, but the larger part of him was screaming at him to keep this hidden. "We can't. What if..." __Monster. Freak__. "People won't understand."

"Luna will. I promise."

He stood and paced around the room, thinking. __One person couldn't hurt... But what if... if she tells others... I could be driven out... not knowing anything...__

Hermione stood and took his hands in hers.

"It's all right, Loki. I can introduce you first. We don't have to tell her what happened unless you trust her."

He looked into Hermione's eyes, her beautiful, trusting eyes. "Why do you not think I'm a monster?"

She recoiled. "Is that what people called you in the past, when they learned about... this?"

"I... I think so."

"Well... it's strange, but... I'm a witch. I've seen stranger." She offered him a grin. "Like strange men appearing on the grounds with head injuries."

Loki couldn't help but chuckle at that. Sufficiently assuaged, he nodded. "I will meet your friend, then. But we won't tell her immediately."

"Of course."

* * *

Three days later, Hermione and Loki went to the castle gates to meet a blonde-haired, dreamy-eyed woman. When she caught sight of Loki, her eyes – already magnified behind odd-looking spectacles – widened dramatically.

"Hello, Hermione," she offered absently, still staring at Loki. "Is this..."

"Yes, this is Loki. Is there something wrong?"

"No." Luna shook her head and offered the two a smile. "Hello, I'm Luna Lovegood."

"Loki." He reached out and shook her hand. Her eyes widened again and she studied his face intently, then smiled again.

"Let's go into the castle, to my office where we can talk," Hermione offered.

"Good idea," Luna agreed.

When they were all seated in Hermione's office behind privacy charms that had been put up at Luna's insistence, Luna leaned forward in her seat. "So... you're Loki," she said.

"We've established that I am."

"And you can't remember anything?"

"Some few things," he offered. "A few faces, some feelings... Nothing beyond."

"I see." She sat back, still staring at him. "Well, you certainly look like Loki. And you feel like he should, though you're muted for some reason."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Luna's a Seer," Hermione explained. "And a powerful empath. She can feel other people's emotions and magical signatures by touching them."

"Or by being near them," Luna said agreeably. "And you have a very powerful signature." She looked at Hermione. "How long has he been here?"

"About two weeks. He appeared on the grounds one day... there was a loud noise, and he was suddenly standing by the lake."

Luna nodded. "And you've been trying to help him get his memories back?" Hermione nodded. "You're so kind."

"Thank you."

"Of course." Luna focused back on Loki. "So, you're wondering what happened that made your hands turn blue like that."

He leapt to his feet. "How did you -"

"It was on your mind. Don't worry, I won't tell." Luna laughed a little. "It's a bit funny. I can see what happened the first time your hands turned blue like that."

Loki stared at her, and sat heavily back in his chair. "Do tell."

"Your brother was scared of you. He didn't know what was going on. The only people he'd seen with blue skin like that were the Jotunn, and his first thought was that you must be one." She laughed again. "He was right, of course, but he didn't find that out until later."

Hermione and Loki were now staring at Luna, twin looks of utter confusion on their faces.

"Who are the Jotunn?" Hermione asked tentatively after a moment of silence.

"Frost Giants. They live on a different planet. They're rather horrible."

"And... I am one?"

"Yes, you are. But don't worry, you weren't raised as one. If you were, you wouldn't look the way you do now."

"Then why does he look like this, instead of like a Jotunn?"

"He was raised by the Aesir." She looked Loki straight in the eyes. "Your brother was Thor. He's looking for you."

"I don't know who he is," Loki muttered, looking away. But even as she said it, his mind's eye conjured the image of the man with blond hair.

Luna nodded. "That's Thor. Your brother. He's worried about you, you know."

"I don't even remember him," Loki said quietly. "How do you know all this?"

"I can feel it. He's on Earth trying to find you."

"So... we should find him," Hermione said. "If Loki's brother is looking for him, we should find him and tell him he's safe."

Luna and Hermione both looked at Loki, who had buried his face in his hands. He raised one to gesture vaguely. "We… perhaps we should. But how will he react when I don't recognize him?"

"Don't worry. I can get in touch with him." Luna stood and smiled at Hermione and Loki. "Thank you for letting me talk to you. It's been very enlightening."

"At least it was for one of us," Loki mumbled, eliciting a laugh from Luna.

Hermione walked her to the door, removing the privacy charms as she did so. "Thanks for coming, Luna. You've given us a lot to think about."

"I'm glad I could help." She leaned in towards Hermione. "You should tell him, you know."

She didn't, of course, lower her voice, meaning that Loki heard every word. When she was gone, he raised his head and looked at Hermione with a brow raised.

"What did she mean by that?"

Hermione blushed hotly, but didn't react otherwise. "No idea." She clapped her hands together. "In any case, the full moon is in six days. We've got a potion to get started."


	5. Chapter 5

Two days later, Luna sent a letter to Hermione explaining that she was getting ready to go and find Thor; the only trouble was that she didn't know where he was on Earth exactly. She'd decided, however, to start in New York, since apparently he'd been seen around there sometime in the near past.

At the end of the letter was a postscript addressed specifically to Hermione, that read: "You really should tell him, you know."

Hermione had scowled at the letter and torn off the postscript, tossing it into the fire and muttering something about nosy friends who didn't know what they were talking about.

Oddly enough, she was bright red while she did this.

Which made Loki wonder...

Over the two days, Loki and Hermione had not sat idle. Loki had been put in charge of researching the Jotunn; Hermione, the Aesir. Unfortunately, Hogwarts' library was not filled to the brim with useful information. Most of what there was was half-decipherable legend and myth, exaggerated past the point of usefulness. They did manage to glean that the Aesir, when they were in contact with Earth, were considered gods. Loki had been referred to as the god of mischief and lies, and his brother Thor was the god of thunder.

Interestingly enough, Loki and Thor were the sons of Odin, the king of the Aesir. Loki wondered who the elder brother was. Was he next in line for the throne?

As they researched shoulder-to-shoulder in the library, Loki and Hermione grew closer. She shared some stories; some of the things she and her friends had done were amazing for children of their ages – even for adults, they would have been impressive. Facing down a basilisk was no mean feat.

At Loki's behest, she also told him where they all were in life: of course she was teaching at Hogwarts; Harry was in the Auror Corps, learning about Wizarding law and lawkeeping; and Ron was working in the Ministry for a time. By Hermione's pursed lips when she said this last, Loki gathered that she didn't approve, and he asked as much.

She sighed. "It's not that I don't approve – he's doing a good job at the Ministry. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Well… he tells everyone who'll listen that it's only a temporary job, that he's there as a favour to his father… but he's been there for five years, and he doesn't – he's not looking for anything else." She sighed angrily. "Ron's never been one for focusing on self-improvement, but it's getting ridiculous. I've tried to suggest that he go for post-graduation classes and learn something new, but he doesn't seem to want to… It's just frustrating to watch. And he seems to expect –" She blushed and stopped talking.

Loki raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk playing at his lips. "You were together at one point, weren't you?"

Hermione gaped. "How did – was it that obvious?"

"No one gets that frustrated over someone who's just a friend."

"Harry and Ron aren't just friends… but you're right. Ron and I dated for a while."

"But?"

"But… he never seemed to want to do anything. He was… all he wanted was a steady job and a wife and kids. Which isn't a bad thing, but it's not the life I wanted to lead. So we… there was a bit of a falling out. I haven't spoken to him in almost a year now."

Loki nodded. "There's more to the story than that, though. Does he want you back?"

Hermione nodded with a sigh. "It's like everyone expects us to get back together eventually. His mother – I love Molly, but… she thinks that my Potions Mastery was just something for me to do for now. She's even told me that she expects that I'll want to settle down in time, and that I should do it while I'm still young and…" Hermione blushed. "Fertile."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Ridiculous."

"I know. But it feels like everyone thinks the same. Even Harry… not as much, but I think he wants me to get back with Ron, or at least he thinks I will."

They sat together in silence for a while, until Hermione said, "Thank you."

"You are most welcome." He chuckled. "I can't help but find it interesting. I wonder what kind of a busybody I was before I arrived here."

Hermione laughed.

* * *

They were staring again.

Loki sighed, rolled his eyes, and did his best to ignore the gaggle of schoolgirls watching him as he read. He couldn't imagine what they expected from him; he knew they thought he was attractive – he had better hearing than he suspected they thought, and could hear their whispers just fine, thank you very much – but he was hardly in the business of looking at little girls.

He sighed again and glanced back at the book he was reading. The "Historie of Norse Mythologie" was a badly-translated and dry text, but he and Hermione had hoped it would be useful to learn more about his past and the Aesir, so he was reading it. Having been at it for almost an hour, however, he decided that it was time to give up on it. It wasn't giving him any information he hadn't already read in other texts.

He stood and perused the titles on the shelf, stifling a sigh at the dreamy sighs he heard from the next row behind him. He did, however, indulge himself in an eye-roll.

Children were so frustrating.

He heard the library door open and turned his head to take a glance at who was coming in. It was Hermione, and she caught his eye and came over to him.

She raised an eyebrow at him as she caught sight of the little girls watching him, who were ducking out of sight as she approached. He sighed and rolled his eyes again.

"You've picked up some admirers," she said. "What did you do?"

"How should I know? Little girls are an utter mystery to me."

"Maybe I should rephrase, then. What have you been up to?"

"Reading."

Hermione hummed under her breath. Slowly, a grin spread across her face, as his little gaggle of admirers poked their heads back out.  
"They're looking at your bum," she giggled.

Loki gave her a deadpan expression of suffering, and she laughed. "Take it as a compliment. You do have a nice bum."

He rolled his eyes, then did a double-take at the now blushing Hermione. "Did you just…"

"No! Now, I've got a potion that I should be watching… I just came to find out how you were doing, see if you'd found anything interesting…" With that, she turned tail and fled.

As she was stepping out the library door, Loki shot a silent Tickling Hex at her, and she collapsed to the floor in a fit of giggles. He stepped over to her, a triumphant expression on his face.

"Loki… mercy!" she gasped in between giggles.

"I don't think so," he said with a quirk of his lips. "I think I like seeing you on the floor at my feet."

Hermione's face started turning red.

Unfortunately, the librarian stepped in to ruin Loki's fun.

"Enough! You're making too much noise! __Finite incantatem__!" she snapped, pointing her wand at Hermione.

"My apologies," Loki said smoothly, reaching down to help Hermione to her feet.

Madam Pince gave him an unimpressed look. "Unacceptable. Get out, and don't come back till next Saturday. Understand?"

"I –" At her continued glare, he wilted. "Very well."

He turned tail and stalked off with great dignity. Hermione followed behind, still laughing – though it was at him rather than the aftermath of the Tickling Hex.

"I'd say I'll get you back, but Karma's already done that for me," she laughed.


	6. Chapter 6

Three weeks and four potions later, Loki was at his wit's end. "None of these potions have been doing anything! I still don't remember anything but flashes of faces, and little pieces of memories, but nothing makes any sense." He scowled at the cauldron that contained the latest potion, an experimental solution they'd had to use Loki's blood to brew.

"I'm sorry, Loki. I can't think of anything else that might help. That last one… that was my last hope." Hermione bit her lip. "Really, there's only one thing we can do now."

"And what is that?"

"We… we could get one of the St Mungo's Healers to look at you, see if there are any spells they know that could help."

He glanced at Hermione. She looked dejected, but hopeful. "What would they have to do to find something that could work?"

"I don't know. I'm not a Healer."

He considered for a moment, then sighed. "I suppose we could ask a Healer what they can do."

Hermione nodded and came over to him. Tentatively, she took his hand. "I'm sorry. I just… this potion was the last idea I had. I thought if it was tied to your magical signature, it would work…"

He looked at Hermione. "It's not your fault. It didn't work. Perhaps there were some complications… my Jotunn blood might have affected the potion."

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "The Healers will be able to help. I know it."

* * *

"Unacceptable."

The Healer glared at Loki. "There's no way we can help you without a full Legilimency scan. That's standard procedure for all memory patients."

Loki scowled. "I will not allow one of your Healers into my mind. I will not."

"Isn't there another way?" Hermione asked tentatively. "Can someone other than a Healer do a Legilimency scan?"

Loki raised a brow at her. "What are you suggesting?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I could do it."

The Healer sneered. "You're not a trained Healer, nor are you a Legilimens. You're a potion-maker."

Hermione stared at him with steel in her gaze. "And you're a berk. I want to talk to a different Healer."

"I'm the head of the Memory Department! There's no one you can talk to that's better than me!"

"Boss," interrupted another Healer. "Gilderoy Lockhart wants to talk to you."

The senior Healer turned his glare onto the younger woman. "I'm a little busy at the moment!"

"He says it's urgent."

The older Healer sighed angrily and turned back to Loki. "This isn't over!" With that, he headed off around the corner.

The younger Healer smiled at them apologetically. "Sorry about him. He's been running this department for so long, he's let it go to 'is head."

Loki brushed an invisible bit of lint off his shoulder. "Someone ought to tell him so."

"We've tried. Hell if he'll listen." She smiled. "Now, I heard you've got a bit of amnesia? Healer Davis wasn't telling you the truth. The only time we require a full Legilimency scan is if we know for sure that the memory issue is magical in origin. Too invasive to do for a little head injury."

"Well," Hermione said, "Loki had a head injury when I found him. His temple was bleeding rather badly."

The Healer smiled. "Well, that's simple enough. Come with me; we'll just do some diagnostic charms to see how bad the brain damage is."

Loki followed the bouncy woman to a plain white room, where he was instructed to take a seat in the plush armchair by one wall. The Healer took out her wand and a quill, setting the quill to float beside her making notes.

She waved her wand over Loki, muttering the results of her charms to the quill.

"Hmm…" she murmured after one charm. "This isn't just a head injury. Someone messed with your brain before you got that head wound." She paused. "Did you want me to call Ms. Granger in?"

"If you don't mind."

"Of course." The Healer left the room, and returned a moment later with Hermione in tow.

"As I was saying to Loki a second ago, this isn't just a case of a head injury. There's definite magical involvement in this."

Hermione glanced at Loki with a rather dismayed look. "So, we need a Legilimency scan then?"

"Yep." Loki looked set to get mad again, but the Healer held up her hand. She pointed her wand at the door, and it shut. "Now, I'm not opposed to having Ms. Granger do your scan. She'd probably get more out of it than I would, given she knows you. I'd get enough, but I like keeping my patients comfortable."

"So you'll let me do it, then?"

"Yep. I'll even guide you through it." She looked at Loki again. "Sound good to you? I really do need that scan to help you get your memories back."

Loki considered Hermione for a moment. Did he trust her enough to let her into his mind?

After a moment of silence, he said, "Yes."

"Alright," Hermione said. She offered him a soft smile, then turned to the Healer. "Ive read the theory on Legilimency, and I should be able to do it. What am I looking for?"

"There should be some kind of a block in his mind. You're looking to get past it. Not take it down right away, but you're looking to see what it looks like and ways to get past it, hopefully. Think you can do that?"

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath. She turned to Loki.

"We need to be making eye contact," she explained. "You shouldn't be able to close your eyes while I'm in your head. While I'm in there, you might see some memories; I'll be seeing the same things. I'll try not to look at anything personal."

Loki nodded. "I'm ready," he said quietly, meeting her gaze.

She held her wand up, pointing it at him. "Legilimens."

Suddenly, Loki could no longer see the hospital room around him. He couldn't see anything but Hermione's eyes, such a beautiful brown. He watched them light up as they talked about Potions, as she explained the little ways he could improve his methods of chopping ingredients, as she watched him…

He could feel her touch on his mind. He could feel her move past his surface thoughts, to the things he tried not to think of – his pain at losing his memories, his wondering at whether he would remember anything – and other things.

Suddenly, he was in his room at Hogwarts. He was thinking of Hermione, thinking of her sweet lips against his, on his neck, his chest, lower –

He heard a faraway moan, felt a blush creep up his neck – not his, but it felt like…

Suddenly, his fantasy was gone, replaced with a sense of a wall. He came back to reality to find Hermione staring at him, her eyes on his and her mouth open in a gasp.

The enormity of what had happened hit him. Before she could say anything, he stood and left the room, trying not to run – trying not to seem guilty.

As he headed down the hallway, wanting to escape this stupid hospital – his stupid body, which was even now reacting to what he'd been reminded of – he felt a hand brush against his upper arm. He whirled around to find Hermione looking at him. "Loki."

He opened his mouth to defend himself, to apologize, something – but the words were not forthcoming. He closed his mouth and hung his head, pleading with her to forgive him – he'd never intended –

Suddenly, his back hit the wall, and his lips were occupied by the woman who'd stopped him. Hermione was kissing him, and kissing him hard at that.

He was so stunned that he couldn't move, couldn't even kiss her back. She stopped and pulled away, not looking him in the eyes.

"I – sorry. I thought – when I saw, I thought – but –"

"Hermione," he cut her off, his mouth finally working properly. He lunged forward and claimed her lips with his own.

Loki put his no-longer-stunned lips to good use, pressing against hers. He opened his mouth slightly, and she took it as an invitation, letting her tongue roam into his mouth, exploring.

He groaned as she pressed closer, taking his head in her hands and tilting it down so she could better access his mouth. He let his hands move across her back, eliciting a moan.

His body was crying out for her to be closer, so he took her bum in his hands and lifted her up. He turned them so her back was against the wall, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, reaching down to pull her robes out of the way. Her movements pressed her closer to him, and he groaned as his manhood twitched at her proximity.

She felt it and reached down to palm him through his robes – he moaned again, removing his lips from hers and moving up to her ear, pressing kisses to the skin around it, to the shell of her ear, moaning her name into it as she whispered his –

"Hey!"

Loki whipped his head around with a scowl. There in the hallway behind them was Healer Davis, with an expression that was half surprise and half indignation.

"You can't – what are you doing here? You can't just snog each other in the middle of the corridor!"

"Watch me," Loki growled, turning back to Hermione, whose eyes were still widened with desire, though it was tempered by a healthy dose of shock.

"Hey! I'll call security on you and have you kicked out of here!"

Before Loki could reach for his wand, Hermione placed her hand on his arm. She looked him in the eye, and he backed away from the wall to let her down.

They stood together facing Healer Davis. Hermione spoke up. "Sorry. Won't happen again." She then took Loki's hand and began to lead him back to the room they'd left the other Healer in.

"But – what – you can't – don't just walk away from me!"

Both ignored him.

* * *

They arrived back in the room to find the Healer grinning at them. "Well, you two look well-snogged. What happened?"

Hermione blushed, and even Loki had the grace to look away.

"We, um… that is to say, he…" Hermione's voice trailed off. "There was a realization."

The Healer giggled. "From the sounds of what was happening out there, I'd say it was more than that."

Loki scowled at the floor, and the Healer cleared her throat. "Well, as long as you've cleared the air. Did you want to try again?"

Hermione blushed red and glanced at Loki out of the corner of her eye. "I mean… if he wants to…"

"I'm…" Loki cleared his throat. "I'm not opposed to the idea." He smirked a little. "I'll try to behave myself."

Hermione smacked his arm.

The Healer rolled her eyes, muttering something that sounded like "new couples". "Well, take a seat in the chair, then."

Loki sat, and Hermione looked him in the eye, raising her wand again. "Legilimens."

Hermione moved right past his conscious thoughts to his subconscious. She poked around – most of it was old memories starting to float back to the surface. At least one of their slew of potions had worked a little.

She moved on, following the trail of old memories to their source – a massive black hole in Loki's mind. She didn't want to touch it, but she observed it for a moment, gathering as much detail as she could to tell the Healer.

She returned to the surface, and Loki returned to the room. He shook his head to try and stave off his growing headache.

"So, what'd you find?"

Hermione looked grim. "It was like a black hole," she began. "It was… it was like it was pulling everything into it. But a few memories were escaping… We've been trying to restore Loki's memories with potions, but they haven't seemed to be doing anything…"

"Apparently they were doing something," the Healer said, scribbling on a piece of parchment. "Anything else?"

"I heard a name…" Loki murmured absently. "Thanos…"

Hermione and the Healer looked at him.

"Who's Thanos?"

"I don't know. I only heard his name."

Hermione's eyes lit up with determination. "Sounds like we'll have to do some research." She scowled suddenly. "Wait. We can't work in the Hogwarts library."

Loki's eyebrow raised in amusement. "Don't want the students getting any ideas?"

She looked at him with such heat in her eyes that he suspected, had the Healer not been there, she'd already be undressing him. "Oh no. They have no idea what they'd be bringing down on their heads."

He stood and took her face in his hands, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. "No one holds a candle to you."

The Healer rolled her eyes. "Go get a room," she groaned, shooing them out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Loki awoke slowly and comfortably. Warmth surrounded him, and it almost lulled him back to sleep, but he fought off the urge and looked around.

He was in Hermione's room. The events of last night were clear in his memory, and he smiled, looking downward.

Hermione herself was snuggled into his chest, still asleep. His arm was draped around her back, and he moved it up to stroke her hair.

She let out a soft noise. Her eyes fluttered open slowly to see Loki smiling down at her. She smiled back at him.

"Good morning," she murmured.

"Good morning."

She sat up and stretched, arching her body so that her beautiful breasts were on display. Loki grinned.

She grinned back at him. "Enjoying the show?"

"Most definitely." He reached for his wand, muttering a clock spell. "Nine thirty."

Hermione shrugged. "It's Saturday. No one needs us up, currently."

"Well, in that case," Loki murmured, sitting up to kiss Hermione.

She returned the kiss, but when they broke away she grimaced. "Sorry. Ouch!"

"Did I hurt you?"

"Er… sort of?" She shifted and let out a hiss. "I'm not going to be able to walk properly!"

Loki chuckled. Hermione smacked his chest.

* * *

They decided that it would be best to get dressed and get breakfast. Loki wasn't hungry – well, he was, but not for food – but Hermione was, so they headed up to the Great Hall once they were presentable.

They didn't count on a fourth-year walking by just as they left Hermione's room. She stared at the pair with wide eyes, then dashed off.

Loki groaned. If the whole school didn't know they'd slept together by noon, he'd hit himself with a Jelly-Legs jinx.

Hermione stood stock still, face crimson. "Maybe… she'll think we were just talking?"

"Not a chance."

Hermione indulged herself in a soft curse. "This was not the way I wanted people to find out."

"Too late. We shall just have to make the best of it." Loki took her hand and began to walk to the Great Hall. She fell into step beside him with a small smile on her face.

As soon as they opened the doors, the Hall went silent, then erupted in a buzz of whispers. Hermione held her head high and headed up to the teachers' table, Loki at her side.

"That went well," he murmured, ignoring the stares from approximately half the female population of the Hall.

"If you say so. I may need my hand back to get breakfast, though."

Loki released her hand and went for his own breakfast. Suddenly, an owl dropped a letter in front of him, right onto his empty plate.

He raised an eyebrow and opened the envelope. The letter enclosed was written partly on parchment and partly on a sheet of bright white paper.

Loki decided to start with the parchment. It was apparently from Luna.

 _Dear Loki,_

 _I haven't been able to find Thor yet. However, I did manage to find out that while he was on Earth, he was part of a team called the Avengers. I found one of the members of this group and had a rather lovely conversation with her. She wrote a note to give to you, so I enclosed it with this letter._

 _We made another dinner date for next Saturday, so if you could reply by then, that would be lovely._

 _I hope your research is going well, and that your memories come back to you soon. They're very important, you know._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Luna_

Loki shook his head. Luna was so…odd. He passed the letter off to Hermione and opened the other note.

 _Loki,_

 _I heard from this girl that you lost your memories. To be honest, I don't know what to think of that. It feels too easy, like you're escaping the consequences of your actions in New York._

 _Still, Thor's been worried about you, so I guess it's fair. I haven't seen him in a while – he headed back to Asgard to place the Infinity Stone in a safe place. If I see him, I'll tell him you're alive._

 _Luna said she'd be in New York for awhile. She said she could get a message to you, so I'll send a message through her if Thor comes back._

 _-Black Widow_

Loki raised an eyebrow. This letter just raised more questions than it answered. What had he done in New York? What was an Infinity Stone?

Hermione reached for Black Widow's letter, and he handed it to her. She scanned over it, eyebrows furrowing.

"We should send a message to Luna, telling her about our developments," Hermione said.

"Agreed."

Together, they stood and left the Great Hall, leaving the still-whispering students behind.

* * *

They were about to go into Hermione's rooms when all of a sudden, a bright light came down into the courtyard. Loki immediately turned and dashed into the courtyard, approaching the pillar of light with little caution.

Hermione ran after him and grabbed his arm. He stopped and glanced at her, and she shook her head. He nodded, turning to watch the light pillar from where he was.

The pillar faded, revealing a tall, well-built man with long blond hair. The man looked around curiously and caught sight of Loki.

"Brother!" the man called, jogging over to Loki. "I was worried about you. I'm glad to see you're safe." He caught sight of Hermione and smiled. "And who might this be?"

"Hermione Granger," she said. "And you must be Thor."

"I am." He turned back to Loki. "What kinds of stories have you been telling about me?"

"Very few, given that I've lost my memories," came Loki's dry reply. "The only reason I recognize you as my brother is due to this excellent lady and her efforts."

Thor started. "Lost your memories? How?"

"We're not sure." Loki noticed an audience building in the halls around the courtyard. "Perhaps this is a conversation to be had in private, however."

"Of course. Where can we go?"

Hermione led them to her office, shutting the door firmly in the face of a particularly inquisitive student and placing privacy charms on the room. Thor watched this with a rather impressed look on his face.

"Humans can manipulate magic?" He glanced at Loki. "You've got competition, brother."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You… right. You were always good at illusion magic, making one thing look like another. You even turned yourself into animals." Thor chuckled. "I remember one time, you turned yourself into a snake." He turned to Hermione, who was now seated on the couch beside Loki. "He knew I love snakes, so he turned himself into a snake. When I picked up the snake, he turned back into himself and stabbed me, yelling 'Surprise!'"

Hermione was shocked. "He stabbed you?"

"Yes, but we Aesir are much more resilient than humans. It was only a flesh wound, really."

"Right." She looked at Loki with an expression that promised words in the future. "In any case…"

"I've lost my memories, as I said," Loki said. "I remember precious few things. But yesterday, we discovered the reason for this."

"There's a black hole in Loki's mind. It seems to have taken all his memories. The only things he remembers are the things we've brought back using potions."

"Among those things are some faces, some moments – and a name. Thanos."

Thor looked confused. "I have never heard of this Thanos. But we can ask Father if he has."

Neither Hermione nor Loki missed Thor's use of 'we'. "I'm not going to leave Hermione," Loki said. "You can ask Father if he knows who Thanos is, but my place for now is here."

"What? No. Your place is at home. You belong with me, in Asgard. We can heal your mind, and we can find this Thanos and get our revenge for taking your memories."

Loki glanced between Thor and Hermione. She nodded slightly, looking resigned.

"If I come back to Asgard with you, Hermione is coming with me. I'm not abandoning her."

Thor looked between the two with an odd expression. "I see." He paused. "You… you really love her."

It wasn't a question, but Loki nodded.

Thor smiled slowly. "This is wonderful! Mother will be pleased. Of course she will come with us." He stood. "We should make haste. Father will want to hear about Thanos, and Mother will want to hear that you're safe."

"I have to tell Minerva I'm leaving, first," Hermione said. "How long are we likely to be gone?"

Thor frowned. "That, I don't know. Time passes differently in Midgard compared to Asgard. And if we should have to search for Thanos… Perhaps a few months?"

"Months?! I can't just leave for months! I have students I have to worry about! And – my friends! I can't just drop everything and disappear for a few months!"

"We shall explain it to Minerva, love. She'll understand."

"But – someone has to teach Potions…"

"I can give you some time. I will go and explain to Father what happened to Loki, and you can join me when you're ready."

"How will we get to Asgard without you?"

"Just call on Heimdall. He will open the Bifrost for you, to bring you to Asgard." Thor headed for the door. "I should be going." He opened the door to see Minerva McGonagall, looking as intimidating as she ever did – which is to say, very.

"I was just about to knock," she said dryly. "How kind of you to spare me. Hermione, what is going on?"

"Minerva! This is…"

"My lady, I am Thor, son of Odin." Thor took Minerva's hand and bent over it, brushing his lips to her knuckles. "I am Loki's brother, and I have come to bring him home."

"And we'll be bringing your Potions Mistress along with us, for a time," Loki added. "By your leave, of course."

Minerva's lips pursed in amusement. "Why do I get the feeling that informing me was an afterthought?"

Loki opened his mouth to reply, but her look cut him off at the knees, so he stayed silent.

"I didn't think it was an afterthought," Hermione muttered. "My job was my first thought when they said we were going to traipse off to another planet."

"Another planet? Hermione –"

Thor held up a hand. He turned back to Loki and Hermione. "I shall leave you to it. Meet me in Asgard when you are prepared." With that, Thor scooted past Minerva and headed back out to the courtyard.

Minerva stared at Loki and Hermione with an unreadable expression. "I certainly hope you have a good explanation for all this," she said.


End file.
